1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a connector, and more particularly to a connector for direct installation on an inverter for driving two three-phase AC motors in an electric vehicle by one inverter.
2. Description of the Related Art
The connector for direct installation on the inverter for driving two motors by one inverter is known (refer to PTL1).
FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating a function of the connector for direct installation, in which FIG. 8A is a circuit diagram around the connector, and FIG. 8B is a perspective view illustrating a connector structure.
In FIGS. 8A and 8B, a DC voltage from a battery Ba is applied to an inverter INV within an inverter case 100 through a plus line P and a minus line N, and the DC voltage is inverted into three-phase AC voltages of U phase, V phase, and W phase in the inverter INV. A U-phase voltage, a V-phase voltage, and a W-phase voltage of the three phases inverted by the inverter INV are output to a busbar terminal U, a busbar terminal V, and a busbar terminal W, respectively. In order to apply the U-phase voltage, the V-phase voltage, and the W-phase voltage to respective motors M01 and M02, the busbar terminal U, the busbar terminal V, and the busbar terminal W are each branched into two busbar terminals. Accordingly, the busbar terminal U is branched into busbar terminal U1 and busbar terminal U2, the busbar terminal V is branched into busbar terminal V1 and busbar terminal V2, and the busbar terminal W is branched into busbar terminal W1 and busbar terminal W2. The U-phase voltage is output from the busbar terminal U1 and the busbar terminal U2 in the inverter case 100, the V-phase voltage is output from the busbar terminal V1 and the busbar terminal V2, and the W-phase voltage is output from the busbar terminal W1 and the busbar terminal W2. In a connector for direct installation 200 that is installed directly on the inverter case 100, the busbar terminal U1 and the busbar terminal U2, the busbar terminal V1 and the busbar terminal V2, and the busbar terminal W1 and the busbar terminal W2 from the inverter case 100 are collected into two busbar terminal group 1 (busbar terminal U1, busbar terminal V1, busbar terminal W1) and group 2 (busbar terminal U2, busbar terminal V2, busbar terminal W2). The former is output from a connector 201, and the latter is output from a connector 202. The U-phase voltage, the V-phase voltage, and the W-phase voltage output from the busbar terminal U1, the busbar terminal V1, and the busbar terminal W1 of the connector 201, respectively, enter a motor side terminal T1 through a line U1, a line V1, and a line W1, form a rotating magnetic field in the motor M01, and drive a rotor.
Likewise, the U-phase voltage, the V-phase voltage, and the W-phase voltage output from the busbar terminal U2, the busbar terminal V2, and the busbar terminal W2 of the connector 202, respectively, enter a motor side terminal T2 through a line U2, a line V2, and a line W2, form a rotating magnetic field in the motor M02, and drive a rotor.
Thus, the respective terminals enter an inlet of the connector 200 in the order of the busbar terminal U1 and the busbar terminal U2, the busbar terminal V1 and the busbar terminal V2, and the busbar terminal W1 and the busbar terminal W2. The connector 200 finally rearranges those respective terminals into one group including the busbar terminal U1, the busbar terminal V1, and the busbar terminal W1, and the other group including the busbar terminal U2, the busbar terminal V2, and the busbar terminal W2 by efficiently arranging the busbars, and outputs voltages via those terminals from an outlet of the inverter case 100.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a busbar within the connector 200 disclosed in PTL1. The connector 200 includes six busbar terminals U1, U2, V1, V2, W1, and W2 (hereinafter called “U1 to W2”) routed in the inverter case 100. Terminal parts of six busbar terminals U1 to W2 are arranged in parallel in the order of U1, U2, V1, V2, W1, and W2 from right of the drawing.
A horizontal terminal part of the rightmost busbar terminal U1 is continuous to an upward short vertical portion, and bent with a step in substantially an L-shape upward through a horizontal short plate to form a rightmost vertical terminal.
The second right busbar terminal U2 is bent downward, shortly, and vertically through a horizontal portion, and extends long in substantially a crank shape toward left. A left edge thereof is upward vertical, and bent with a step in substantially an L-shape through a horizontal short plate to form a second left vertical terminal.
The third right busbar terminal V1 has an upward short vertical part from a horizontal portion, and is bent with a step in substantially an L-shape through a horizontal short plate to form a third vertical terminal.
The fourth right busbar terminal V2 is continuous to an upward short vertical portion from a horizontal portion, and bent with a step in substantially an L-shape through a horizontal short plate to form a fourth right vertical terminal.
The third and fourth right busbar terminals V1 and V2 are bilaterally symmetrically formed.
The fifth right busbar terminal W1 is bent downward, slightly long, and vertically through a horizontal portion, and extended long in substantially a crank shape toward right. A right edge thereof is an upward vertical part, and bent with a step in substantially an L-shape through a horizontal short plate to form a second right vertical terminal.
The sixth right (left edge) busbar terminal W2 is bent with a step in substantially an L-shape upward through a horizontal short plate from an upward short vertical portion through a horizontal portion to form a leftmost vertical terminal.
As described above, a busbar assembly of the connector 200 is configured.
As illustrated in FIG. 10, in the busbar assembly, among the six busbar terminals U1, U2, V1, V2, W1, and W2, the three busbar terminals U1, U2, and V1 on the lower left side are fixed by one horizontally long insulating block. The three busbar terminals V2, W1, and W2 on the lower right side are fixed by one horizontally long insulating block. Those two insulating blocks are arranged in parallel within one horizontally long shield shell.
Also, the three busbar terminals U1, V1, and W1 on the upper left side are arranged a connector fitting chamber of one connector 201, and the three busbar terminals U2, V2, and W2 on the right side are arranged a connector fitting chamber of the other connector 202. Those six electric wires of the connectors 201 and 202 are bundled and continuous to connectors T1 and T2 on the motors M01 and M02 (FIG. 8B) side.
According to the connector 200 disclosed in PTL1, the inverter can be downsized, and moreover connection with the inverter can be ensured easily and efficiently.
When the busbar terminals of the connector for direct installation are integrally molded with the insulating resin part, the alignment (horizontality) of the busbar terminals U1, V1, W1, the busbar terminals U2, V2, W2, the busbar terminals U1, U2, the busbar terminals V1, V2, and the busbar terminals W1, W2 may not be ensured, depending on the dimensional relationships or the manufacturing problems of the busbar terminals on the single terminal basis.
Further, even in a state where the alignment of the busbar terminals of the connector for direct installation is ensured, the alignment of the partner connectors 201 and 202 may not be ensured.
Thus, when the connector 200 disclosed in PTL1 is fastened to the partner connectors 201 and 202 under the circumstance where the alignment is not ensured, a load is exerted on a fastening part of the connector 200, resulting in a risk of an adverse effect that a bolt is loosened when bolt fastening is conducted.